arrivals and of our local birds there was no apparent in- 
S^lfcity 
crease. 
One of the most marked phenomena of this interesting 
of 
spring is the extreme scarcity of some of the small 
Thrushes 
Thrushes. The Hermit Thrushes passed us in such very small 
numbers that Hoffmann saw only four, Faxon but two or three, 
while I met with just oneI The Wilson’s Thrushes appeared 
at about the usual time and in fair numbers but not a single 
Olive-back or Gray-cheek has been as yet reported. Faxon 
more 
thinks they are yet to come but it seems/probable that they 
have followed the example of the Hermits and passed north by 
some other route. 
Song 
On May 10 I found a Song Sparrow's nest under a 
Sparrow's 
tuft of dead grass within a few rods of the cabin. It con- 
nest 
• 
tained 3 eggs and a fourth was added the next morning. Yes¬ 
terday at 3 P. M. I flushed the bird and saw all four eggs 
in the nest. This morning at 8 o'clock I again examined it and 
found that three eggs had hatched in the interim. The fourth 
was unhatched at 4 P. M. to-day and is probably addled. 
The parent bird was sitting on the 10th but if the time of 
incubation be taken from that of the completion of the set, 
vizJ May 11th, it was in this instance just eleven days. 
♦(See next page). 
Yesterday morning when I visited this nest I found 
tv/o Garter Snakes, one of unusually large size, basking in 
the sun within less than four feet of the sitting bird, one 
on each side of her. 
